"by moyen (interest) at court without any consultation had with the bishops," which led to the utter defeat of Charles's attempt to carry on what his father had happily begun. "These passages concerning England being laid together, we must look back into the North, which still took up a great part of his Majesty's thoughts. He had observed how much his father's pious order for officiating by the English Liturgy in the Chapel Royal of that kingdom, had been discontinued and neglected; imputing thereunto the opposition which he found amongst them at his late being there. And being resolved to pursue his said father's most religious purpose, of settling an uniformity of divine worship in all the churches of these kingdoms, he thought it most expedient to pursue the same method also, to the end that the people, being prepared by little and little, might the more willingly admit of that, or some other liturgy like unto it, when he should think it reasonable to commend it to them."* "It had been King James's custom, when a bishopric fell void, to appoint the Archbishop of St. Andrew's to convene the rest, and name three or four well qualified, so that there could not be an error in the choice, and then out of that list the king pitched upon one whom he preferred; whereby it came to pass that during his time most able men were advanced, as Mr. William Cooper, to Galloway; Mr. Adam Ballantyne, to Dumblain; Patrick Forbes, of Corse, to Aberdeen; Mr. David Lindsay, to Brechin; and Mr. John Guthrey, to Murray. . . . But King Charles followed another way, and without any consultation had with the bishops, preferred men by moyen [interest] at court: so, upon Buckingham's commendation, Dr. Leslie was made bishop of the Isles; and at the entreaty of James Maxwell of the bedchamber, Mr. John Maxwell made bishop of Ross; and, by the archbishop of Canterbury's moyen, Mr. Thomas Sydeserfe was made bishop of Brechin, and Dr. Wedderburn bishop of Dumblain; and when Sydeserfe was removed from Brechin to Galloway, Mr. Walter Whitford was made bishop of Brechin, by the moyen of the earl of Stirling, the secretary of Scotland. Now, among these late bishops, none were generally esteemed gifted for the office, except bishop Maxwell, of whom it cannot be denied that he was a man of parts, but the mischief was they were accompanied with unbounded ambition: for it did not content him to be a lord of the secret council (as were the rest) but he behoved also to be a lord of the exchequer, and a lord of the session extraordinary, and at last to be lord high treasurer, which proved fatal to them all. Thus the young bishops, not having been beholding to the old bishops for their preferment, for that cause they depended not upon them, but kept a fellowship among themselves apart, and happening to gain an intimacy with the Archbishop of Canterbury, caused him to procure from the king power to himself to prescribe things to the old bishops, which they did not well relish. "Another advantage the adversaries had, was the discontent which daily increased among the ministry, because of the bishops' too much slighting of them, yet was not this to be imputed to the old bishops, who were prudent and humble men, and gave respect to all honest and deserving ministers, as their brethren; but it was the fault only of the younger bishops, who indeed carried themselves so loftily that ministers signified little in their reckoning. "And the third was the most fatal of all, and this was the statesmen's treachery towards them, for when they who in his majesty's absence should underprop them do undermine them, it is ominous; yet so was it then; albeit all professed for them, yet underbound most of them wrought against them, being partly led on by the treasurer, and partly irritated by the younger bishops' pride and their too much meddling in state affairs."+ "Meanwhile we will behold such alterations as by his (Laud's) power were made in the preferments of the church of England; which, in the beginning of this year, lamented the death of Bishop Godwin, made Bishop of Landaff, in the Heylyn's Life of Laud, lib. iv. anno 1633. year 1601, from thence translated unto Hereford, anno 1617...... For his successor in that see, Juxon, then Dean of Worcester and clerk of his Majesty's closet, as before was said, is recommended and elected. But, before the business had proceeded to confirmation, there was a supersedeas to it by Laud's preferment to the metropolitan see of Canterbury; who, having a great confidence in him, and no less affection to his person than confidence of his wisdom and moderation, commended him so efficaciously to his Majesty's favour that he made him not only Bishop of London, but Dean of the Chapel Royal also. It had been Laud's great care, as he grew into credit with his Majesty, to give a stop to such corruptions as had been used too frequently in the court about church preferments, which made him the less acceptable to many which were near the king in place and service, who formerly had been on the taking hand, and made a market of the church as they had occasion. Goodman, of Gloucester, having staid in that diocess long enough to be as weary of them as they were of him, effected a remove to the see of Hereford, and had so far prevailed with some great officer of state, that his money was taken, his congé d'élire issued out, his election passed. But the archbishop coming opportunely to the knowledge of it, and being ashamed of so much baseness in the man who could pretend no other merit than his money, so laboured the business with the king, and the king so rattled up the bishop, that he was glad to make his peace, not only with the resignation of his election, but the loss of his bribe. At last, that church, a third time vacant, that is to say, by the death of Godwin, the promotion of Juxon, and the resignation of Goodman, was recommended to the government of Dr. Augustine Lindsel, not long before made Bishop of Peterborough, and now succeeded in that see by Francis Dee, doctor in divinity and Dean of Chichester. Now begins Wren to come into play, Chaplain to his Majesty when Prince of Wales, and chosen by King James to be one of the two which were to follow him into Spain amongst the rest of his retinue, as before was said. He had seen Maw, who went chaplain with him into Spain, to be preferred first to the mastership of Trinity College, and afterwards to the bishopric of Bath and Wells, anno 1628; himself remaining in his place at Peterhouse, as his highest dignity. In the year 1628 he was at the last made Dean of Windsor, and registrar of the most noble order of the Garter, in the place of Beaumont. And on that place he dwelt so long, that his well willers gave it out that Laud was afraid of his abilities, and would not suffer him to rise, for fear that he might rise too high both in power and favour, and overtop him in the court. But these surmises proved as groundless as they were unjust; for this year he was made successor unto Juxon, as clerk of the closet, a place of great nearness to the king; and being once on the ascendant, he went up apace, succeeding Linsel in the see of Hereford, anno 1634, and Corbet, in the church of Norwich, anno 1635. When Juxon was advanced to the treasurer's staff, he was made Dean of the Chapel in his place, anno 1636; successor unto White in the see of Ely, anno 1638; and questionless had mounted higher had the times been favourable. Nor was he less fortunate in his successors, leaving the deanery of Windsor to Dr. Christopher Wren, his younger brother; his clerkship of the closet to Dr. Richard Steward, Dean of Chichester; and the mastership of Peterhouse to John Cosens, of Durham.* "But these particulars have carried me beyond my year. I return, therefore, back again; and having shewed what actings had been set on foot both in England and Scotland, must now cross over into Ireland, where we find Wentworth made lord deputy in the place of Faulk land. We told you formerly of some dearness which was growing between him and Laud, then bishop of London, at his first admission to the place of a privy-counsellor. Toward the latter end of January, anno 1630, Wentworth, being then lord president of the council estalished for the northern parts, bestowed a visit upon him at London-house, where they had some private conference touching the better settlement of affairs both in England and Ireland, of which kingdom Wentworth not long after was created *Heylyn's Life of Laud, lib. iv, anno 1633. ANTIQUITIES, ETC. lord deputy Of all these things he gave order to his chaplain Bramhall to give the archbishop an account, which Bramhall did accordingly in his letters of the tenth of August, 1633. In which letters he gave this testimony also of the deputy's care, That it was not possible for the intentions of a mortal man to be more serious and sincere in those things that concerned the good of the Irish church than his lordship's were. 997 "A letter from the Right Reverend William Laud, Bishop of London, to the Most Reverend James Usher, Archbishop of Armagh. "MY VERY GOOD LORD;-I have received your Grace's second letters, and with the letters from Dr. Barlow, a man known to me only by name, and good report. I have, upon receipt of these, a second time humbly presented Dr. Barlow's suit to his Majesty; with all fair representation to his Majesty of the necessity of a good commendam to the archbishop of Tuam. . . . But these two things his Majesty commanded me to write to your Lordship: the one, that young men be not commended to him for bishops; the other, that he shall hardly be drawn again to grant a deanry in commendam. Any other preferment, though of more value, he shall be content to yield. I am glad I have been able to serve your Grace's desires in this business Your Grace's loving friend and brother, "GUIL. LONDON."t "Jan. 29th, 1628." "A letter from Mr. Archibald Hamilton, to the Most Reverend James Usher, Archbishop of Armagh. "MOST REVEREND;-On Thursday last, I understood by certain intelligence, that my lord of London, (whether by the persuasion of Sir Henry Wotton, or others, I know not,) earnestly moved his majesty in Dr. Bedell's behalf, provost of Dublin college, that he might be preferred to the bishopric of Kilmore, which his Majesty hath granted; and the letter for his consecration is like to be there as soon as this 66 Whitehall, April 8th, 1629." "A Letter from the Right Reverend William Laud, Bishop of London, to the Most Reverend James Usher, Archbishop of Armagh. "MY VERY GOOD LORD;-I am glad Mr. Bedell's preferment gives your Grace such contentment. Your former letter came safe to my hands; so did your second. I see nothing is so well done, but exceptions can fret it; for I hear that which I looked not for concerning Mr. Bedell's preferment, whose name was never put to the King, till both the other competitors were refused by his Majesty as too young "Besides those of your lordship's, I have received letters from Mr. Bedell, and from the fellows, about their freedom of election of a provost. My lord, his Majesty would fain have a man to go on where Mr. Bedell leaves. I am engaged for none "Now, my lord, I have answered all your letter, save about the archbishop of Cassils for the old dean. I have done all I am able for that reverend and welldeserving gentleman; but the King's Majesty hath been possessed another way; and it seems upon like removes, hereafter, will move more than one. this time he will give Cassils to my lord of Clowgher, if he will take it, and so go And at on with another to succeed him, of whom he is likewise resolved: and who shall be Cassils if my lord of Clowgher refuse.§. . . "June 16th, 1629." Heylyn's Laud, anno 1634. + Parr's Life of Usher, Appendix, Letter cxxxiv. p. 401. Ibid. Letter cxxxvii. p. 405. Ibid. Letter cxlii. p. 409. "A Letter from the Right Reverend William Laud, Bishop of London, to the most Reverend James Usher, Archbishop of Armagh, "MY VERY GOOD LORD;-The two fellows of the college of Dublin which are attendant here about the freedom of their election, were commanded by his Majesty to send to the college there, and to know whom they pitch upon for their governor. And his Majesty was content, upon the reasons given by me, and the petitions of the fellows, to leave them to freedom, so they did choose such a man as would be serviceable to the Church and him. Upon this, after some time, they delivered to the King, that they would choose, or had chosen, Dr. Usher, a man of your grace's name and kindred. His Majesty thereupon referred them to the secretary, the Lord Viscount Dorchester, and myself, to inform ourselves of his worth and fitness. My lord proposed that they should think of another man that was known unto us, that we might the better deliver our judgments to the King. I was very sensible of your lordship's name in him, and remembering what you had written to me in a former letter concerning him, and thereupon prevailed with his Majesty that I might write these letters to you, which are to jet your Grace understand that his Majesty puts so great confidence in your integrity and readiness to do him service, that he hath referred this business to the uprightness of your judgment, and will exercise his power accordingly. For thus he hath commanded me to write: that your Grace should presently, upon receipt of these letters, write back to me what your knowledge and judgment is of the worth and fitness of Dr. Usher for this place, setting all kindred and affection aside; and upon that certificate of yours the King will leave them to all freedom of their choice, or confirm it, if it be made. So, wishing your lordship all health and happiness, I leave you to the grace of God, and shall ever rest, your Grace's very loving friend and brother. "London House, June 25th, 1629." "GUIL. LONDON."* A Letter from the most Rev. James Usher, Archbishop of Armagh, to the Right Rev. William Laud, Bishop of London. "MY VERY GOOD LORD;-Your letters of the 25th of June I received the 8th day of August; wherein I found contained a large testimony, as well of your special care of the welfare of our poor college as of your tender respect unto my name and credit; for which I must acknowledge myself to stand ever bound to perform all faithful service unto your Lordship. "I have hereupon written unto the fellows of the house, that in making their election they should follow their consciences according to their oaths, without any by respects whatsoever. Dr. Usher is, indeed, my cousin-german; but withal, the son of that father at whose instance, charge, and travel, the charter of the foundation of the college was first obtained from Queen Elizabeth; which, peradventure, may make him somewhat the more to be respected by that society. To his learning, honesty, and conformity unto the discipline of our church, no man, I suppose, will take exception; and of his ability in government he hath given some proof already, while he was vice-provost in that house. Whereunto I will add thus much more, that I know he sincerely intendeth the good of his country; meaneth to go on where Dr. Bedell hath left; and in his proceedings will order himself wholly according as your Lordship shall be pleased to direct him. Which if it may prove an inducement to move his Majesty to confirm his election, I shall hold myself strongly engaged thereby to have a special eye to the government of that college; seeing the miscarriage of anything therein cannot but, in some sort, reflect upon myself; who would rather lose my life, than not answer the trust reposed in me by my Sovereign. In obedience unto * Ibid. Letter, cxliii. p. 410. whose sacred directions, and discharge of the care committed unto me by his letters of the 7th of November last, (the copy whereof I send herewith,) I humbly make bold to represent this also unto your lordship's consideration: whether, if the Lord Bishop of Clogher shall be removed unto the Archbishopric of Cashell, the Dean of Raphoe may not be thought upon, to succeed him in Clogher, as being a very well deserving man, and one toward whom his Majesty hath very gracious intentions. But of him I shall need deliver no more than what is contained in the enclosed testimonial, sent by my predecessor unto King James, of blessed memory. And so with remembrance of my service unto your lordship, I rest your lordship's, in all Christian duty, ready to be commanded, "Armagh, August 10th, 1629. J. ARMAC."* "A Letter from the Right Rev. William Laud, Bishop of London, to the Most Reverend James Usher, Archbishop of Armagh. "MY VERY GOOD LORD;-I have received two or three letters from you since I writ you my answer. I hope your Grace is not of opinion that it is either idleness, or neglect, which have made me silent; for the plain truth is, I fell into a fierce burning fever, August the 14th, which held me above three weeks. It was so fierce, that my physicians, as well as my friends, gave me for dead; and it is a piece of a miracle that I live. I have not yet recovered my wonted strength, and God knows when I shall; yet since I was able to go to the Court, though not to wait there, I have done as much business as I could, and I think as your Grace hath desired of me, for the Church of Ireland, as your Lordship will see by this brief account following. "And first, my Lord, I have obtained of his Majesty the new incorporating of the Dean and Chapter of Derry: and I think the dean is returned. At the same time, the King was pleased to give order for confirming the election of Dr. Usher, to be governor of the college in Dublin. Thirdly, upon the refusal of my Lord of Clogher, his Majesty gave, in the time of my sickness, the archbishoprick of Cassills to the Bishop of Killally, and the bishoprick of Killally to the Dean of Raphoe. These are all the particulars that, for the present, I can recall out of your letters, sent unto me in the time of my sickness. So with my hearty prayers for your health and happiness, and that you may never be parched in such a fire as I have been, I leave you to the grace of God, and rest your Grace's loving poor friend and brother, "London House, Dec. 7, 1629." "GUIL. LONDON.”† "I shall conclude this year [1641] with a remembrance of some change of officers in the court, but of more in the church Neile, Archbishop of York, died some few days before the beginning of the parliament; Mountague of Chichester, Bancroft of Oxon, Davenant of Salisbury, Potter of Carlisle, and Thornborough of Worcester, within few months after. Nature abhorreth nothing more than vacuity; and it proved to be very agreeable to the rules of polity not to suffer their preferments to lie longer in a state of vacancy. For the vacancies in the church, they were supplied by preferring Williams, Bishop of Lincoln to the see of York, and Winiff, Dean of St. Paul's, to the see of Lincoln; Duppa, of Chichester, to Salisbury; and King, then Dean of Rochester, to succeed at Chichester; Hall, Bishop of Exon, translated to Norwich, and Brownrigg, Master of Catherine Hall, in Cambridge, preferred to Oxon ; Skinner, of Bristol, removed to Oxon, and Westfield, Archdeacon of St. Alban's, advanced to Bristol; the bishopric of Carlisle was given in commendam to the Primate of Ireland, during the troubles in that kingdom; and Worcester, by the * Ibid. Letter exlv. p. 412. + Ibid. Letter cxlviii. p. 415. |